Hagrid's voice held the joy of an elder seeing the son of an old friend, "It's been so many years. James and the others often came to my cabin, and you were about this age back then..."
He gestured, then withdrew his hand, as if afraid that continuing the topic would make the atmosphere too heavy, and quickly stepped aside to make way for the doorway. "Come in and sit down, everyone."
Upon hearing Hagrid's words, Herman and the others quickly followed Hagrid's gesture and walked into the house. Draco had only taken two steps with Herman toward the hut when she suddenly felt something was missing behind her.
She looked back and saw that Crabbe and Goyle had no intention of following her; they were standing by the roadside pointing at a row of huge pumpkins.
Draco quickly turned back, and as she approached, she heard the two of them discussing something in hushed tones.
Crabbe stared at the pumpkin, which was almost half his height, his eyes already starting to glaze over. "Look at this big pumpkin, its color is so good, it must taste delicious."
Goyle nodded in agreement, adding, "And with a size this big, I wonder how many Pumpkin Pasty it can make."
Draco furious. She stepped forward and slapped each of them on the head. The force wasn't great, but the placement was precise, hitting them right on the back of the head. Crabbe and Goyle simultaneously shrank their necks, like two sloths jolted awake from a dream.
Draco, hands on her hips, shouted, "Hurry up, let's go in!"
Crabbe and Goyle finally snapped out of their daze and, under Draco's watchful gaze, jogged into Hagrid's Hut. Their pace was much faster than before, as if they were afraid of being attacked again.
Hagrid's Hut was warm and cozy, the fire in the fireplace was burning brightly, the firewood crackling, and the firelight reflected on the steaming pot of tea and the plate of grayish-brown chunks on the table, giving them a warm glow.
Herman glanced at the plate, then at the expectant expressions on Crabbe and Goyle's faces, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
This afternoon tea looks like I'll suffer less today. The portion size is probably just enough for Crabbe and Goyle to fill their gaps. I can just do what Kong Rong did and give away the pears, leaving the chance to enjoy the Rock Cakes to these two Champion with strong teeth.
As soon as Crabbe and Goyle entered, their eyes were fixed on the plate of Rock Cakes. As if they were seeing long-lost friends, they unconsciously moved towards the table.
Seeing this, Herman quietly took half a step back, making room for the dish closest to the plate on the table.
Hagrid came in last, invited everyone to sit down, and then picked up the teapot to pour tea.
The tea was a deep color, like concentrated tree sap, steaming and gleaming with a golden-brown sheen in the afternoon sun, looking more like some kind of Potions than a beverage.
As he poured the tea, he glanced curiously at Crabbe and Goyle: "Who are these two young wizards?"
Herman quickly introduced, "This is Crabbe, and this is Goyle. They really liked the pastries you made that Draco brought back, so they came with us today. Sorry to bother you."
As Herman was introducing the food, Crabbe and Goyle reluctantly looked away from the Rock Cakes, nodded to Hagrid, and said, "Excuse me."
Herman noticed that although they were a beat slower, they still maintained the proper etiquette.
Although these two characters are portrayed as foolish in the original work, and are indeed not very bright in reality, likely due to long-term intermarriages within Pure-blood families, they were still well-mannered.
Especially these two simple-minded ones, who are actually more disciplined than those clever but restless Pure-blood scions.
Draco picked up the cup of tea in front of her, took a sip, and then her expression changed instantly.
She frowned slightly and put down the cup much more gently than usual, as if trying to suppress the bitter taste as much as possible.
Herman noticed her movement and glanced at the large teapot in Hagrid's hand, guessing the reason.
The tea wasn't this color when I came yesterday; it was probably a weak tea that Hagrid specially prepared for the young wizards.
But this pot of tea today is the kind of flavor he usually drinks.
The difference in taste between the Half-giant and humans is vividly reflected in the strength of their tea.
Hagrid was clearly delighted to hear that someone liked his pastries, completely oblivious to Draco's subtle change in expression. He excitedly introduced his Rock Cakes to Crabbe and Goyle, his tone smug with a "you have good taste" vibe. "These pastries look hard, but they get better and better the more you chew them. My little guys love them too."
Herman sat beside him listening to this, silently thinking to himself, "That's because you're raising carnivorous creatures. They all need to grind their teeth. How can they bite through prey with bones if their teeth aren't strong?"
Crabbe and Goyle were already seated at the table, listening to Hagrid's introduction, their eyes glued to the plate of Rock Cakes.
As soon as Hagrid invited him to "make yourselves at home, don't be shy," Crabbe's hand was already outstretched, his movements as fast as if he were grabbing it.
Herman watched as Crabbe put the pie into his mouth, and heard that familiar crunching sound again. He felt his teeth start to ache again, and even his cheeks tensed up reflexively.
He sat there without moving, only picking up the cup of tea in front of him and carefully taking a sip, letting the scalding bitterness slide down his throat, so as to divert his attention from the chewing sounds of Crabbe and Goyle.
Then he turned to look at Hagrid, Hagrid was watching Crabbe and Goyle eat their pancakes with a broad smile, like a chef who had finally found someone to appreciate his cooking skills; his expression of satisfaction was even brighter than before.
Herman mentally reviewed several possible topics, considering how to steer the conversation toward what had happened in the Forbidden Forest the previous night.
Hagrid's smile deepened as he watched Crabbe and Goyle engrossed in dealing with the Rock Cakes.
He rested his chin on his hand, like a chef who had finally found someone to appreciate his skills. His gaze shifted back and forth between Crabbe and Goyle, and he couldn't suppress the smile on his lips. He was even starting to consider whether to bake a few more batches, since the amount he had prepared didn't seem to be enough to fill the two little guys' teeth.
While Herman was still figuring out how to steer the conversation back on track, Draco put down her teacup first, turned to look at Hagrid, and said in a casual tone, " Hagrid, where did you go yesterday? You didn't come back for ages. Oh, by the way, Neville and the others came looking for you later, did you know?"
When Herman heard this, he secretly thought to himself, "Great job, Draco!"
This statement came at just the right time, bringing up the incident from last night's Forbidden Forest again.
Hagrid hesitated for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the group, as if judging who could say what and who shouldn't.